Lawyer: Years of abuse led Grissom to kill her ex-husband

Friday

Jul 6, 2012 at 12:10 PM

There's no doubt that Tracey Grissom shot and killed her ex-husband in May. The question now is whether she was justified in doing so. Her attorney said Friday that years of threats and violence led her to shoot Hunter Daniel Grissom at Binion Creek Boat Landing off U.S. Highway 43 North on May 15. The ex-couple were involved in court disputes about child support for their young daughter, and she had stopped to take a photo that she thought would prove that his dock-building business was indeed getting work.

By Stephanie TaylorStaff Writer

There's no doubt that Tracey Grissom shot and killed her ex-husband in May.The question now is whether she was justified in doing so, her lawyer said.Her attorney said Friday that years of threats and violence led her to shoot Hunter Daniel Grissom, 27, at Binion Creek Boat Landing off U.S. Highway 43 North on May 15. The ex-couple were involved in court disputes about child support for their young daughter, and she had stopped to take a photo she thought would prove that his dock-building business was indeed getting work and he could afford the payments.According to Tracey Grissom, who confessed to police immediately after the shooting, Hunter Grissom had made an obscene gesture and face at her before she fired. According to his two friends and employees who testified at her preliminary hearing Friday, she had parked her car near the boat landing for about 20 minutes before she sped up, jumped out of the car without putting it in park and fired at his back until every bullet was spent.There were pending rape and sodomy charges against Hunter Grissom when he was killed, based on an occasion in November 2010 when he allegedly went to his ex-wife's home, sexually assaulted her, threatened her with a loaded gun and knocked her unconscious.“It wasn't the first time she'd been raped and it wasn't the first time she'd been beaten,” said Warren Freeman, a defense attorney from Delta in Clay County who is representing Tracey Grissom, 30. “This is an unfortunate and tragic conclusion to something she had been putting up with for years.”Hunter Grissom's family members declined to speak to reporters Friday.Most defendants charged with murder choose to waive a preliminary hearing, which is held in Tuscaloosa County District Court to determine whether there is probable cause to continue prosecution. Judge Jim Guin ruled at the conclusion of the 20-minute hearing that there is probable cause for a grand jury to hear the evidence.Grissom's attorney called a press conference to speak with reporters at the conclusion of the hearing, which is unusual in a case that hasn't yet gone to trial. Grissom has not yet entered a plea in the case.She stood by Freeman outside the courtroom but did not speak.Freeman said that she had endured years of abuse that no one had learned about until she called a friend after the alleged November 2010 assault. He said that her friends had encouraged her to carry a gun after Hunter Grissom threatened to kill her and people she associated with if she revealed the abuse. Support on social media platforms for Tracey Grissom has been notable. A Facebook group called “Supporters Fighting For Tracey Grissom's Freedom” had 798 members as of Friday morning. Members have raised money for her legal assistance and have posted photos of Grissom, who was a school nurse at Walker Elementary School, with her children, family and friends.A page called “Justice for Hunter Grissom,” has been “liked” by 368 Facebook users. The page contains photos of Grissom, and messages of prayer and support for his family members.The case is being prosecuted by Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange's office because attorneys with the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney's Office were prosecuting the rape, sodomy and unrelated drug possession charges against Hunter Grissom at the time of his death.